My Dream Destination

New York Travel Blog

We drove in from New Jersey at about sunrise. We could see the sun rising behind the myriad of highrises and reflecting on a sea of glass multiplying its brightness one hundred times. New York was my dream destination and I was taking my most important trip to date.

Upon arrival, we found the first parking garage we could. Being New Year's Eve, we knew that before long their would be no open parking spaces in Manhattan. It was $18 for 24 hours for our parking space. Not bad considering that they rent for up to $600 a month. Feeling pretty good about our parking "victory," we headed towards Times Square.

We made a quick pitstop at Subway, and then picked up some extra camera film and batteries at Duane Reade.

Central Park

Remember when digital cameras were a luxury? Anyway, we soon found our way to Times Square and started taking some pictures. We spotted a crowd in front of the ABC Studios and decided to investigate, of course. The crowd was impenetrable so I found my way up a sawhorse and then a light pole to solve the mystery of who was causing the comotion. It was Dick Clark leaving the studios! He was probably getting ready for his big night. I had just enough time to get a couple snapshots before he was escorted to his limo. Too bad the old 35mm cameras didn't have a zoom feature. At least not the $25 models.

After the excitement, we still had a good 12 hours before the countdown, so we headed to Central Park, making stops at Macy's and Rockefeller Center along the way.

NBC Studios

When we arrived back at Times Square we quickly claimed our spot for the ball drop right in front of MTV Studios. There were only about a dozen others there. I guess that's the benefit of being early--nine hours early! To kill the time, we took a seat in the street and played some card games and talked with fellow revelers.

Little did we know that after the 9/11 attacks, there were new security measures being enforced during the celebration, and we would all be forced to leave the square and reenter through security. So we were rounded up like cattle and driven out of the square, and then had to walk a few blocks to find one of only a few entrances back into the square. Of course, fitting 50,000 people through a four-foot-wide gate wasn't the neatest process but it was an interesting experience. Eventually, we and 750,000 others made it back into Times Square and were able to enjoy one of the largest celebrations in the world!